The Bell ASH WEDNESDAY - Wednesday 1st March The Magazine of the Cathedral and Parish of Llandaff MARCH 2017 40p SERVICES at LLANDAFF CATHEDRAL SUNDAY SERVICES Morning Prayer 7.30am (said) HOLY EUCHARIST 8am (said) 9am (sung, with the Parish Choir), together with Sunday School in Prebendal House, followed by tea/coffee 11am (choral, with the Cathedral Choir) 12.30pm (said, in the Lady Chapel) Evening Prayer 3.30pm (choral, with the Cathedral Choir) Holy Eucharist (BCP 1662) 5.30pm on the First Sunday of the month WEEKDAY SERVICES HOLY EUCHARIST (* in Welsh) Mon 9.30am Tue 9.30am* 12noon Wed 9.30am Thu 10.00am* 11am Fri 9.30am Sat 9.30am On major Feast Days (or the Eve), there is usually an evening Eucharist; details are published in the magazine, music sheet & weekly notes. EVENING PRAYER (sung in Cathedral School term-time – see Music Scheme/website for further details) Mon 5.15pm Cathedral School Choral Scholars (Girls) Tue 5.15pm Cathedral Choir (Boys) Wed 5.15pm Cathedral School Choral Scholars (Girls) Thu 5.15pm Cathedral Choir Fri 5.15pm Cathedral Choir (Men) Sat 5.15pm said 2 From the Very Reverend Gerwyn Capon Dean and Vicar of Llandaff Dear Friends, Lent can be seen as a season of the church where we speak of the denial of self in order to bring about change in ourselves! On the one hand we come to an acceptance of our mortality and our need for God, and on the other, confidence to know that in Christ, we are offered new life in the here and now. This leads to a real transformation in our outlook and attitudes – it gives us a sense of hope no matter the context in which we find ourselves. The word “Lent”, after all, is derived from the early English word, “Lencten”, the time when the days begin to lengthen, and the season sees new growth. Lenten transformation is about allowing ourselves to be shaped by God’s grace, just as the warming sun germinates and stirs nature into new life. If this is true, why has the church repeatedly affirmed the Lenten disciplines of self denial? At its most profound level, acts of self-denial serve as an emptying of ourselves, enough to allow God in turn, to fill us. They are a means to an end. They prepare us to be transformed, just a little more, into the full image of ourselves that God intends, an image that conforms more truly to His own. The early Church understood this when it developed the traditional disciplines of Lent – prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Firstly, prayer enables us to establish, maintain and strengthen our relationship with God. We will want to ask for the things we deeply need for ourselves and for others - healing, understanding, patience, humility, strength, insight, a better knowledge of God, an ability to detect his love and to reflect it in how we live. When we do this, we can begin to see the world as Christ sees it. This is the first, most foundational Lenten practice. If we do nothing else during Lent, the practice of daily prayer (preferably silent and contemplative – a few moments in the day, walking, sitting quietly somewhere – thinking about God and His presence around us). Lent is the perfect time to reignite our prayer life. 3 Secondly, fasting (what we typically mean when we talk of ‘giving something up’) is not about doing without something we like, but doing without something we need and the point of fasting is to recognize our dependence on God’s provision of life. Traditionally, fasting from everything except basic food, is done once or twice a week, from sunset to sunset on Mondays to Tuesdays and Thursdays to Fridays. Few of us do this now but I have several friends who adopt a vegetarian diet through Lent or use at least one day as a day of fasting. To feel your own need of something that is basic to life, does allow us to appreciate and focus on those in our world who have nothing, not of their own choice but out of circumstance. At its most basic level, Lent offers a time to reassess how we consume things without much thought - food, drink, clothes, the material things in everyday life. It sharpens the conscience and reminds us of the double standards that erode a proper sense of who and what we are, as we stand before God as part of one human family. Lastly, when we offer our own money to help others in need (almsgiving) we are aligning ourselves to God’s will. Almsgiving can be planned or spontaneous. Either way, it is one of the most countercultural things we can do; it runs away from the default position of human self interest and travels directly towards imitating the generosity of God, from whom we have everything in the first place. This could be a time perhaps to reassess what you give to the Cathedral – never an easy or comfortable question to ask! During this Lent, will God indeed prompt you to review your giving in such a way as to enable the Cathedral to breathe easier and begin to fund its ministry in a new way? Ever since my own ordination, I have chosen to give sacrificially to the churches in which I have served and do so now. I have found it a totally liberating thing to do – unconditional generosity finds its blessing in so many ways. In the end, whatever one does during Lent, it is between the individual and God. However, it is an opportunity to have an ambition and practice for ourselves, engaging in disciplines that remind us of God’s boundless grace, rather than gestures that try to make us the saviours of ourselves. The prayer for the blessing of the ashes on Ash Wednesday sums this up: Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is 4 only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Gerwyn The Archbishop’s Farewell. At the end of January we said a farewell to Archbishop Barry. The service on the 29th January was a wonderful celebration. He has been a strong supporter of the Cathedral throughout his time as our diocesan bishop and as the Primate and it has been the Cathedral’s great privilege to help support him in his Diocesan and Provincial role. Barry’s has wanted to see our ministry thrive at the Mother Church of the Diocese and that has been both a joy and a challenge over the last few years. We are so hopeful that in retirement he will continue to be part of our Cathedral family and we wish him well as he prepares for a new chapter in his own life and ministry. Hilary shared Archbishop Barry’s love and care for the Cathedral and was such a supporter over the years - we continue to miss her a great deal. It is certainly right for us to acknowledge with gratitude the part she played too in our life at Llandaff. I should like as well to offer my own personal thanks to Archbishop Barry for supporting me as Dean and on behalf of us all, to express profound gratitude to God for his vision, scholarship and pastoral concern as our bishop. Above all perhaps, we thank Archbishop Barry for his unwavering friendship as a guide and fellow traveller in the Gospel. Material for any issue of The Bell should be sent to the Editor, David Llewellyn, no later than the 6th of the preceding month. Material may be delivered to 40 Pwllmelin Road, Llandaff, Cardiff CF5 2NJ or (preferably) emailed to [email protected] A colour edition of ‘The Bell’ can be viewed on the Cathedral website: www.llandaffcathedral.org.uk . [Ed.] 5 DIARY FOR MARCH 2017 Regular Sunday and weekday services are listed on page 2 Wed 1 ASH WEDNESDAY 7.30pm Holy Eucharist, with Imposition of Ashes Thu 2 Fri 3 Women’s World Day of Prayer Sat 4 Sun 5 FIRST SUNDAY of LENT 5.30pm Holy Eucharist (Book of Common Prayer 1662) Mon 6 Tue 7 Perpetua, Felicity and their Companions (203), Martyrs Wed 8 Ember Day 7.30pm Lenten Reflections, with Holy Eucharist Thu 9 Fri 10 Ember Day Sat 11 Ember Day Sun 12 SECOND SUNDAY of LENT Mon 13 Tue 14 Wed 15 7.30pm Lenten Reflections, with Holy Eucharist Thu 16 Fri 17 Patrick (5th cent.),Bishop & Patron saint of Ireland Sat 18 Cyril of Jerusalem (386), Bishop Sun 19 THIRD SUNDAY of LENT Mon 20 Tue 21 Thomas Cranmer (1556), Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley and Robert Ferrar (1555), Bishops, Teachers & Martyrs Wed 22 7.30pm Lenten Reflections, with Holy Eucharist Thu 23 Fri 24 Oscar Romero (1980), Bishop & Martyr Sat 25 The Annunciation of our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary 5.15pm Solemn Eucharist Sun 26 FOURTH SUNDAY of LENT (Mothering Sunday) Mon 27 6 Tue 28 Wed 29 Woolos (6th century), King 7.30pm Lenten Reflections, with Holy Eucharist Thu 30 Evensong, with the installation of the High Sheriff of Glamorgan Fri 31 DATES for your DIARY The Lent Lunches will take place on Wednesdays 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th March and 5th April. All will take place in Prebendal House starting at 12:30 pm. Annual Vestry Meeting - Wednesday 19th April 2017 at 7.00pm in the Nave.